The Elders met again this past Tuesday for our monthly meeting, and as is our normal practice, we started with prayer. Our prayer time is generally broken down into two types of prayers. The first we call “frontline prayer” and it includes prayers like the following:
- That we would have the courage to confess our sins and humble ourselves
- That we would have compassion for the lost and zeal for the flourishing of the church
- That we would have a yearning to know God, to see his face, and to glimpse his glory
These frontline prayers reorient our hearts towards humility. We praise God for who He is, we remind ourselves of who we are, we ask Him to make plans clear and to help us submit to His leading. We repent of sins. We ask to see His kingdom grow.
The second kind of prayer is for all of the needs of those in our church. We desire to rejoice with those rejoicing and mourn with those who mourn. Often during our meetings we pause to pray about specific topics and ask for the Holy Spirit to intercede. If you would ever like to be prayed for by the elders, please come to one of our meetings between 6:30-7pm and we would absolutely love to pray with you.
At this meeting, we met with Gabriela Carter, our Care and Counselling Director. She walked us through a new policy which will help us to better understand, prevent, and respond to domestic violence and abuse. Gabriela is very gifted in her role and is equipping many people with the tools needed to provide good counsel for others. We pray that the ministry will help many people heal from spiritual, emotional, and relational pain.
February 18th was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Lent is the period in the Christian calendar in which we meditate on our sin and prepare our hearts to both mourn Christ’s death on Good Friday and celebrate his resurrection on Easter Sunday. The sermon series during this time will be in Leviticus. We encourage you to get a Lent Guide and participate in the fasts and readings to prepare your heart for Easter.
Our AGM is scheduled for March 8, at 7pm in the sanctuary. 2025 was truly another year of blessing after blessing. Our God is on the move at Central and we are going to celebrate what he is doing. Come and hear stories of ministry highlights and testimonies of changed lives.
One of the blessings we are continually reminded of is growth. God is sending more and more people to all of Central’s campuses. In fact, there are certain days where we almost cant all fit. Therefore, this blessing is coming with some logistical challenges. It is clear that God is growing the church, but please also join us elders in prayer as to how to handle that growth. We truly want to be faithful and wise as we follow God’s path in this area.
Pastor Matt gave us an update on all of the ministries happening, and there are so many, I wont list them all. However, I would like to highlight the food bank at Lake Errock. There are many less-fortunate people in that community, and so Central started a food bank to help. It runs twice a month, one Wednesday and one Sunday. This ministry has continually grown and last week there were 52 people (mostly unchurched) who came to be blessed with food and clothing. The supply of food was completely emptied. This ministry has created amazing opportunities for practically sharing the love of Christ to that community. Some who originally came for food are now attending church regularly. They are truly receiving both bread and the bread of life. Pray for this ministry, that God’s love will shine ever brighter on that entire community.
God continues to amaze us elders with everything that is happening at all campuses. It is such a privilege to lead. Thank you to all who read this and please continue to pray, pray, pray for the Lord’s church and all of his people in it.
DJ Hiebert
- On behalf of the Elders at Central Community
Finance Update
The Elders received a report that detailed income and expenses for the first month of 2026, noting that January is historically our lowest month in terms on donations. Providing a comparative giving report to the previous year will prove slightly challenging this year as Promontory is no longer equated in both the giving and expenses. An adjusted income report noted that overall giving is up 5% over last year for the first month. Expenses are all well within budget parameters with most well below budgeted allotments. One exception is found in our Missions and Outreach budget line that shows the donation that Central made to Promontory Church to assist with expenses as they get started. At the January meeting the elders approved investing in capital projects that were put on hold last year. Funding these projects, from a portion of the 2025 surplus, show an income verses expenses shortfall of $74,215. This amount is in keeping with the previous year, and to be expected as we start a new fiscal year.
Giving to the benevolent fund continues to be strong, with donations collected providing relief to families and individuals in need, supporting the Food Bank in Lake Errock, ministry at Seabird Island, and supporting people who are struggling with the challenges of life. Thank you for your generosity. The elder are grateful for Central’s continued commitment to see our vision become a reality as God uses his church to reach the Eastern Fraser Valley. The elders encourage you to consider your part in the collective mission that God has given to Central.
ELDER'S PRAYER
We believe in the power of prayer. We value prayer. And we believe that God answers prayer and uses it as a means of achieving His purposes in the church and world.
Central's Elders invite you to come and receive prayer in the Chilliwack Campus Sanctuary.
Tuesday, March 17 | 6.30PM - 7.00PM
Chilliwack Campus | 46100 Chilliwack Central Road
You can also submit prayer requests using the link below.
Got questions or words of encouragement? We'd love to hear from you!
Please contact The Elders - elders@centralcommunity.ca